NMSU Volleyball Releases 2008 Schedule

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - New Mexico State volleyball coach Mike Jordan announced the 2008 schedule for his team, which will include many nationally ranked teams. The Aggies will face the likes of Stanford, who lost in the 2007 national championship match, and Texas, who made it to the regional finals in the 2007 NCAA tournament and finished the season ranked No. 6 in the country.

"I think it's as tough of a non-conference schedule as there is in the country," head coach Mike Jordan said. "We'll be playing lots of perinial NCAA tournament teams and possible NCAA tournament winners in Stanford and Texas."

The Aggies will open the season with the popular "Alumni Match," Aug. 23 at the Pan American Center before opening up regular season play at the Illinois Tournament, Aug. 29-30 with matches against Illinois and North Carolina. Illinois posted its 21st winning season in 23 years and returns Laura DeBruler, who led the nation in kills for freshmen.

NMSU will return home to play five matches in five days starting with a match at the Pan American Center against UTEP, Sept. 3. The Aggies will host the NMSU Tournament Sept. 4-7 taking on Florida Gulf Coast, Houston, Texas, and Utah. The NMSU tournament returns to Las Cruces since not having it in 2007. The Aggies defeated Utah 3-1 in Salt Lake City, Utah last year and will try to repeat the accomplishment in 2008. NMSU also played Texas and Houston in the Houston Tournament, picking up a win over Houston and falling to Texas. The Longhorns are expected to be one of the top-five teams in the nation in 2008.

"If we can get some wins in non-conference play and finish in the top-two in conference play, we'll be a shoe-in for the NCAA tournament," Jordan said. "Obviously it's our goal to win the WAC but if by chance we don't, with a couple of wins our RPI should be high enough to get an at-large bid."

The Aggies will hit the road one more time before heading into conference play with the Stanford Tournament, which will feature Stanford, Santa Clara, and Santa Barbara. The tournament begins Sept. 11 when the Aggies take on 2007 NCAA runner-up Stanford. NMSU will face Santa Clara, who was in and out of the 2007 rankings, Sept. 12 before wrapping up the tournament with a match against Santa Barbara. Santa Clara made the 2007 NCAA tournament, but fell to Stanford in the first round.

NMSU will then head into conference play with home matches on Sept. 18 and Sept. 20 against Fresno State and Nevada respectively. The Aggies will play their first conference road match in Moscow, Idaho against the University of Idaho Sept. 25, before returning home to take on defending WAC Champions and rival Hawai'i at the Pan American Center, Sept. 27.

The Aggies will start the month of October with three straight road matches, which include San Jose State, Sept. 2 and Utah State, Sept. 4. NMSU defeated the Spartans three times last year.

NMSU will then head to Honolulu for a rematch with the Wahine, Oct. 12. before returning to the Pan American Center with a match against Idaho, Oct. 16 and a match against Boise State, Oct. 18. NMSU then goes to UTEP, Oct. 22 followed by a road trip to Ruston, La., Oct 25 for a match against Louisiana Tech. The Lady Techsters will come to Las Cruces five days later (Oct. 30) for a match against the Aggies in the Pan American Center.

November starts the same way October did; with three straight matches on the road for the Aggies. They take on Boise State in Boise, Idaho, Nov. 1, Nevada in Reno, Nev. Nov. 6 and Fresno State in Fresno, Calif. Nov. 8. NMSU will return home for matches against Utah State and San Jose State Nov. 13 and Nov. 15 respectively.

The 2008 WAC tournament will be hosted by Hawai'i in Honolulu and runs Nov. 20-23 at the Stan Sherriff Center.

The Aggies have two matches after the WAC Tournament, including a home match against Virginia Commonwealth, Nov. 27 and a road trip to Albuquerque to take on the Lobos, Nov. 29.

"It's always good to get as many home matches in as possible, especially for the fans, and we didn't want to be waiting around for two weeks without playing if we make it to the NCAA tournament," Jordan said about playing matches after the conference tournament.

The NCAA Tournament will begin Dec. 4 and run through Dec. 20. NMSU hopes to make its third consecutive NCAA tournament in 2008.